Newswise — The Infectious Diseases Society of America is presenting its 2010 Alexander Fleming Award for Lifetime Achievement to Herbert L. DuPont, M.D., director of the Center for Infectious Diseases at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth). The award recognizes his discoveries in the field of infectious diseases in the past 33 years.
“I am honored to receive this award from my colleagues in the field of infectious disease," said DuPont, professor at The University of Texas School of Public Health, part of UTHealth. Research by DuPont has shown that contaminated food is the main source of the bacterial agents responsible for up to 85 percent of travelers’ diarrhea. “Diarrhea occurs in 20 million international travelers each year, producing a full day of incapacitation and 5 to 10 percent of those affected develop post infectious irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a potentially lifelong disorder,” said DuPont. “If we solve the problem of travelers' diarrhea, we are likely to have hit a home run and use this knowledge to prevent disease and death of children living in developing regions." DuPont is being honored at the IDSA’s 48th annual meeting.
DuPont came to the UTHealth School of Public Health in 1973 and became the first director of the program in infectious diseases and clinical microbiology. He is also the Mary W. Kelsey Professor of Medical Sciences at The University of Texas Medical School, part of UTHealth, and past president of the Infectious Diseases Society of America.
“It is an honor for the School of Public Health to have had Bert DuPont as director of the Center for Infectious Disease for more than two decades,” said Roberta B. Ness, M.D., MPH, dean of the UTHealth School of Public Health. “Dr. DuPont has made sentinel contributions to transforming knowledge about the detection and prevention of pathogenic diarrheal diseases. He is an important contributor to the worldwide burden of infectious disease, giving hope to vulnerable populations around the world.”
Throughout his career, DuPont’s research has focused on the epidemiology, immunology, clinical features, prevention and therapy of diarrhea-causing diseases. Contaminated water accounts for up to 10 to 20 percent of viral gastroenteritis. One of his most important studies showed that a semi-synthetic antibiotic, rifaximin, can be used to treat travelers’ diarrhea without creating future drug resistance. The drug was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2004. He has also led research of a pain-free vaccine for travelers’ diarrhea. “As serious as this condition is, it is a window into the problem of pediatric diarrhea in developing countries,” said DuPont. “Travelers to a tropical and semi-tropical country and children living there are both susceptible to disease-causing microbes while adults living in these regions are naturally immunized and protected from illness.”
After graduating from Emory University School of Medicine, DuPont became interested in infectious diseases during his residency at the University of Minnesota from 1965-1966. He became an epidemic intelligence officer for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the late ’60s and then joined the faculty at the University of Maryland.
DuPont was one of the founders and first president of the International Society of Travel Medicine. He was also a member of the board of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases from 1981 to 2002, serving as president from 1997-1999.
The IDSA and the IDSA Education and Research Foundation offer awards to individuals to honor outstanding achievement in the field of infectious diseases. Society Awards have been bestowed upon pioneers in the study of emerging diseases, inspiring and supportive teachers, those who paved the way for lifesaving vaccines, those committed to serving the needs of communities most susceptible to but least equipped to deal with infectious diseases, and others who have made a great impact on the field of infectious diseases. IDSA Society Award recipients have varying interests but are alike in their passion for their work and dedication to making a difference, whether through direct patient care or basic research.
About UTHealth: The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), the most comprehensive academic health system in The University of Texas System and the U.S. Gulf Coast region, is home to schools of biomedical informatics, biomedical sciences, dentistry, medicine, nursing and public health. It also includes a psychiatric hospital, multiple institutes and centers, a growing network of clinics and outreach programs in education and care throughout the region. The university’s primary teaching hospitals include Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center, Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital and Lyndon B. Johnson General Hospital. Founded in 1972, its faculty, staff and students are committed to delivering innovative solutions that create the best hope for a healthier future.
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